A slightly run-down restaurant with a decidedly older customer base and food as good and as…read moredown-home as you'd hope to possibly find. When you see the daily specials on their menu, you know it's the real deal. Not only is there fried chicken and chicken n dumplings, but the vegetable sides include such grandma favorites as Jello with fruit and often several kinds of peas . . . and rutabagas, any time you actually can find rutabagas on a restaurant menu you know they're not playing around in the kitchen and they're catering to old timers who themselves know how to cook. I had chicken n dumplings with fried eggplant and cucumbers and onions salad as my sides and cornbread came along with the plate as well. Everything was delicious. The cucumbers tasted fresh from someone's garden--like they had that just-picked taste you don't normally encounter in restaurants at all. Service was fine, an older waitress who checked on me and kept the iced tea coming. The interior is comfy, old license plates on the wall, regulars greeting each other and coming over to each other's tables. But the food is what stands out: not at all fancy, indeed, it doesn't taste like restaurant food but literally like eating at a Southern friend's grandma's house and I don't believe there could be a higher recommendation than that.

A friend and I were on our way over to the West Coast of Florida and we're traveling through Lake…read moreCity. Both of us were hungry and decided to stop for lunch. As we drove by we noticed the parking lot was full and looked like a pretty popular place so we decided to turn around and give it a try. OMG. Talk about a place where the locals go... It was fantastic! The inside was decorated with old license plates. The staff seemed to enjoy their job, and the waitress that we had look like she was having a great time with all of the customers. She was very sweet and prompt. We had the Salisbury steak and fried chicken sandwich with handmade onion rings. Deliciously crispy! If you're in the area, make sure you stop in.

This place have down home cooking. The all you can eat buffet. The food is always delicious. The…read morewaitress always makes your time there special. There always ambience of food. We been eating there for about four years. It's been amazing each and every time.

We love Dixie Diner! They have the Best fried chicken around! Good selection of well seasoned…read morevegetables, wonderful variety of other meat choices (daily menu choices on FB). The waitresses are friendly and attentive. Casual atmosphere. The menu has other choices besides the daily buffet. Everything is made fresh . There's a breakfast buffet Saturday and Sunday that is great with lots of choices! Totally worth stopping from 5am til 9pm. (I think). We like to go about 5-6 pm before the crowds start and the chicken is the best and juiciest!! Oh and Fridays are seafood buffet!! Thank you Dixie Diner! Great job.

Had dinner here with a large group of camping friends. Overall everyone seemed pleased with their…read moreexperience. I had a traditional club sandwich which was very good. My husband had a cheeseburger which he said was a bit dry but still pretty good. Our server was good bringing drinks and apps out quickly. One of the meals was late to arrive due to another server claiming it for their table. We sat outside. College football was being watched by all. Overall a fun night

This place is definitely for the vibes. I love the old fashion diner feeling. The food was what…read moreyou'd expect from a diner. Our service was okay. The server had no knowledge of vegan things despite having a large vegan section on the menu. She was unsure if French fries were vegan which is unusual. I assured her most French fries are while she went to check with kitchen which was very nice of her. I got lemonade and was surprised by the unlimited refills. I saw online vegan milk shakes but was sad to see them no longer on the menu. I tried the tempeh Reuben and we custom order the chili cheese fries made vegan. Grateful to see this style diner with vegan options as that is something I have never come by. If I am in the area I would return. I love mini golf but was there for a short time with lots of plans packed so we didn't have time to enjoy but thought it was a cute idea and very fun.

There's been a bit of a gap between our visits for breakfast and what made that first visit…read moreuninspiring and resulted in that passage of time no longer exists now. Our most recent visit was wonderful. Great service, great food and a friendly and welcoming atmosphere. I think the change is largely due to the owners being more involved in the front of the house. We will definitely be back sooner than before.

Back again!!! It may be called the Dirty Bird, but my plate was clean!!!! Outstanding chicken…read morebiscuit with gravy and grits!

This place was extremely cute. One of those cool old places that didn't disappoint at all. Eye…read morecatching stuff everywhere. The place seems very clean as well. My food partner had a great experience, loved the food and the service. For me - I was very excited to see the delicious looking burger (1/2 pounder). Wow! But, here was the thing: I can't do onions and specifically stated no onions, and the server affirmed the order. The sad occurrence was the burger was loaded with extra juicy onions. I called the server back, she was apologetic and took the order back. As she entered the kitchen, I saw her grab gloves and it was at the time, I knew that she was going to mess up (pick the onions off and return it to me). She brought it back - same burger, soaked bun in onion juice (along with all the other delicious stuff) and told me "here ya go". I told her to just take it back and remove it from the check. After a few minutes and after the other diner was done with their meal, the server came back and asked if I wanted a new on cooked without onions (which should have been done in the first place). I opted out. It looked sooooo good, needless to say - I was 100% disappointed at the delivery of the missed cook burger, but more so (if possible) at "picking off" the onions and trying to reserve it. Shame on them. I would definitely go back, because I wanted to experience a great burger (just without onions).

Absolutely fantastic, so glad we found this blast from the past! Gwen is a rock star and was very…read morehelpful and fun. Real diner diner burgers, everything was very fresh and yummy! Must try the onion rings and cheeseburger were just perfect! Parking was a bit confusing and could be marked better as it was kind of a free for all. Definitely try this gem when in town A+++

Down home cooked meals with great in depth menu Hardest…read morething is getting a seating Always crowded since it is so good!

Steffens is the real deal. I drove from Amelia Island for the southern delicacies and was not…read moredisappointed. Chicken and dumplings were the day's special and that most comfortable of comfort foods filled me up. Of course I can't forget to mention the mac and cheese, collard greens bc Georgia, a biscuit AND cornbread. Heck yes! My questions were all answered by the friendly server who happened to be behind the counter when I sat down. I wasn't in her station, but she was extremely helpful and took her time with me, even coming back later to make sure her recommendations worked out. There's a big menu with breakfast available all day. It's cute and clean, a classic diner vibe, and the prices are very affordable. Thanks for the southern hospitality!

Only in town for one night on way to Disney cruise. Not big on fast food but didn't want sit down…read morerestaurant for family of five. Found this and glad I did! Got the family chicken and waffles and it was ON POINT! Hot, fresh, and affordable!

Last minute breakfast decision and wow I am so pleased that we decided on the Metro Diner!…read more As soon as we pulled up I had a good feeling about this place and I'll be honest coming from New York I miss my diners! Needless to say this the Metro diner truly surpassed my expectations. We walked in and were greeted immediately and asked if we would like to sit outside which is a covered area or indoors. We chose inside given it being a hot humid day and wanting that extra comfort. The vibe felt amazing with all the smiles and yes even though busy all the wait staff was hopping doing their business! We were seated and told about the specials and given the menu. I was unsure what I wanted because I think I could have eaten a little bit of everything! I did ask the waitress a couple of suggestions and one of them was the pancakes I had chosen. They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner all day! How cool is that and rare. They had a chicken and waffle special that was actually half a chicken ( pieces ) fried with Belgium waffles, powdered sugar and sweet strawberry butter served with their signature sweet and spicy sauce. I'll be honest when I had seen someone else get their plate I was surprised. It looked absolutely incredible and well tremendous. On their specials they had banana pudding pancakes or waffles, this also sounded amazing. It had walnuts, butter and powdered sugar and definitely banana. I am most certainly glad that I chose this as it was incredibly. Super fluffy, flavorful and the banana was not overwhelming there was a perfect balance of flavors. There was a sauce on them that I assume was the banana pudding. It was light and just enough to not overpower the pancake itself. We had also ordered croissant French toast and my son absolutely loved them. They were crispy on the outside yet fluffy and flavorful with a fantastic texture topped with some powdered sugar. Some ordered hash browns, these were also delicious and homemade with a great texture and the portion like all the other dishes pretty large. We had all tried the biscuits and gravy. These too were delicious with such a nice balance of flavors. The biscuits indeed homemade. We were all very pleased with everything. Some eggs over easy and bacon cooked perfectly. The coffee honestly the best I've had in years. I'm a coffee drinker and I cannot figure this coffee was outstanding! I had four cups and wish for more ha ha. Best of all I must compliment the service. I have not been to a restaurant of any sort with such attentive service, quality service as we received here in years. The waitress kept refilling my coffee and water, brought my son more soda ( even a container to take his home ) asked everyone if they needed anything at appropriate times and was extremely kind and considerate. I will be back and I highly recommend the Metro Diner for a great meal, quality service and relaxed environment that you will enjoy. Address: 2130 SW 34th St. Gainsville, Florida 32608 Phone: (352)353-2889 Hours: Friday 7AM-8PM Saturday 7AM-8 PM Sunday 7AM-8 PM Monday 7AM-8PM Tuesday 7AM-8PM Wednesday 7AM-8 PM Thursday 7AM-8PM Wheelchair Accessible *** ( it can be a little tight sitting indoors but outside sitting is a notably more open space. Metrodiner.com

Horrible experience all around. Arrived at 6 PM to an almost empty restaurant no one dining in…read moreahead of us. Ordered chicken tender plates and mozzarella sticks as appetizers. After 45 minutes of waiting I asked how much longer and was told soon there were a lot of Togo orders ahead of us, 15 minutes later the chicken tenders came. We ate the chicken while waiting for mozzarella sticks for another 10 minutes and decided to take them and leave. An hour wait for chicken strips is wild at an empty restaurant, 45$ for mediocre at best chicken .

Stopped here on the way home from vacation. Service was the best we've seen from any establishment…read morein a long time. Everyone was super nice and attentive. Highly recommend!

First time visitors- got the fried shrimp and fried oysters. Both were excellent! We live on the…read morecoast so our seafood expectations are high. They have a buffet but our appetites weren't that big so we ordered off the menu. Oysters were perfect- not overcooked and dried out. Shrimp tasted fresh and were large and plenty to fill us up. Definitely will be back.

Good and simple food. Southern sweet tea. Quiet dining with fresh food, served simply with a smile…read more Hamburger and sweet potato fries were basic but tasty and served hot. I asked for chicken salad, 1 scoop with grapes and celery and plenty of mayo, steamed broccoli and cole slaw. Broccoli was excellent, cole slaw a tad too wet with dressing, and the chicken salad was perfect; quite sweet, but really good!

After church on an early Sunday, my wife and I opted to try this place out. We were initially made…read moreaware of this place during our initial orientation of the city while we were deciding on a relocation to the area. The guide pointed it out as a popular breakfast joint so we were eager to try it. Upon entering, the place looked cozy (ie tight space) but was around half full of diners. We were asked to seat ourselves. Once presented the menu, we ordered coffee and water before deciding what we'll order for breakfast. Having seen their menu beforehand, my wife ordered their sweet potato pancakes with tater tots and I ordered the Tri Omelet with spuds and wheat toast. Service was slooow, even though the place hadn't filled up yet. It took a while to get our coffee and much longer for our breakfast. My wife liked her pancakes which she couldn't finish and had to take home for a snack later. My omelet was good, although I would've preferred more bacon than ham. All in all, food was good but the slow service took away from the experience. Breakfast for 2 came to just over $41 with tip.

While coming in here - I wasn't surprised by anything - I also didn't get the coffee - water wasn't…read morethat great - but you get what you paid for - thanks again